In the South Bay, renters rallied Wednesday evening to bring attention to what they call terrible living conditions and a landlord who tries to evict anyone who speaks out against the problems.
“Fight! Fight! Fight! For better tenants’ rights!” people chanted in the parking lot of Linda Nelson’s Chula Vista apartment complex.
Nelson said she was slapped with an eviction notice, dated Sunday, for having too many people living in her home. She lives with two grandchildren, a special needs adult and her 82-year-old mother.
But Paola Martinez-Montes with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) said the stated eviction cause is just a cover. They believe the landlord, Elisa Flores, is being vengeful.
”She's just finding a reason to evict her, which is retaliation," said Martinez-Montes.
Residents like Nelson have started joining forces with the ACCE, a nonprofit representing renters and bringing to light issues at the Glover Avenue apartments. People there say they’ve been plagued by pests, broken appliances, mold and worse.
“She's been dealing with bedbugs and roaches," Martinez-Montes interpreted for one tenant.
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Last month, Nelson welcomed NBC 7 into her home, telling us a similar story. She also showed us a recurring problem.
“I have my toilet that comes up in my bathtub,” Nelson said. “The toilet overflows frequently -- three to four times a month.”
Calls to the landlord, Elisa Flores, went to voicemail after she abruptly hung up on NBC 7’s first call, saying she didn't speak English.
Martinez-Montes and the other protesters are now trying to push for a new policy for renters rights, which would giving Nelson time to find a new home.
“I'm just fighting to give me 60 to 90 days to get a proper place and make sure the person moving in knows what they're dealing with and won’t have to go through same thing we did,” explained Nelson.
The city of Chula Vista has set up a task force to work with the ACCE on the issues it has raised, including landlord-tenant disputes.
A city spokeswoman says on Oct. 1, the city is supposed to be at the complex to check for bed bugs.
